For those who love lists, two trend-watchers provide a short list of digital waves to watch out for over the upcoming months. The Googleization of media is particularly interesting for journalists. The others are more business related. Link»
The notion of tracking people's location using Foursquare is the latest trend and some journalists are attempting to use it, mainly for the "cool" factor. However, Jason Keith, of Social Fresh, provides some insight into how every day people are using this technology to find friends, make announcements, get suggestions and other simple uses. Link»
A recently released report by Pew Research and some timely comments from Al Tompkins, from Poynter Online result in a wonderful case study of the pitfalls of crowdsourcing and a list of great tips for anyone trying this approach. Link»
The long-running CBC insiders blog, The Tea Makers, stopped publication recently raising. speculation around its demise.
The anonymous blog was started during the 2005 CBC strike, but evolved into a popular commentary on all things related to inner workings of the corporation and the various broadcasting personalities.
Paul McGrath provides an excellent background and some speculation surrounding its closure. Link»
An excellent analysis of the role of social media in news coverage is presented by Antonia
Zerbisias in the Toronto Star on July 11.
She aptly describes how Twitter became a news sources for untold numbers of people as journalists on the front lines used social media as an instant news wire, sending valuable, pertinent information streaming out to audiences.
She also notes the transformative nature of Twitter and other forms of social media by comparing more traditional forms of coverage to new ones. Link»
Prince Edward County, two hours east of Toronto on Lake Ontario, is the site of a new hyperlocal news project called countylive.ca, started by veteran journalist Sue Capon.
Working with her partner Amber Martin, a graphic designer, the pair have a storefront in Picton and publish solely online.
The enterprise is being well-received and provides a new dimension to coverage.
This is Capon's description of the project in her own words. More»
BBC radio Scotland airs an interesting program pitting an old hack journalist using traditional tools against a younger new media journalist loaded with technology.
The idea is to see which one gets the better, more credible story. The results are aired on the radio.
Eight community newspapers in Alberta received federal funding to subsidize mailing costs and reduce subscription rates.
The Okotoks Western Wheel received more than $269,000, while others received between $10,000 to $40,000. The money comes from the Aid to Publishers program under the Canadian Periodical Fund. The fund provides assistance to magazines and non-daily newspapers.
With all the mainstream and independent working to cover the upcoming G20 summit in Toronto, the new kid on the block has cut itself out a niche.
OpenFile, the new online hyperlocal journalism project, is dedicating an entire section to examining the many aspects of the G20 event, but from a very localize perspective. It is also leveraging its contributors to bring new and fresh approaches to its coverage.
"During the G20 Toronto Summit, the world will be watching as leaders from the 20 most powerful nations converge on our city. OpenFile wants to know who the conference is affecting you and your community. Let us know, and we will tell the world." Link»
Wired staff spent months developing its new iPad app, which become Apple's best-selling app just hours after its May 26 launch. Loud Cloud interviewed creative director Scott Dadich about going digital and why they ditched page-turning sounds and page numbers all-together... More»
Only nine days after launching its iPad edition, Wired has sold 79,000 copies - just shy of the print average of 80,000. Partial thanks go to Steve Jobs, who projected the cover of Wired's iPad magazine onstage while unveiling iPhone 4... More»
One of the first, most comprehensive studies of community news, especially hyperlocal news, was posted May 27, identifying key local online news sites. It surveys publishers, examines what is working and what needs further development.
This is a significant contribution to the emerging trend of hyperlocal news. Link»
The Times blogger Tim Kevan has withdrawn his Baby Barista blog, citing the publication's decision to erect a paywall, which he says will be "a disaster"... More»
This section is dedicated to tracking new trends, contemporary movements and latest developments in journalism. We will discuss and share news, information and commentary about what is transforming the industry. Robert Washburn is a former correspondent at CBC Ontario Morning and he currently teaches journalism at Loyalist College.
This section is dedicated to tracking